Nosepiece for administering supplemental oxygen

Abstract

A nosepiece for the administration of supplemental oxygen to a patient through a nasal cavity includes a hollow stem which has one end adapted for the application of oxygen thereto and which has a remote end adapted to be received within a nostril of a patient. A plurality of flexible locating fingers integrally extend from the remote end and are folded back to an outer surface of the stem and are retained in an adjusted position on the stem by an encircling O-ring. The effective width of the nosepiece may be adjusted by sliding the O-ring along the stem to cause the fingers to either lie flatter or bow outwardly from the stem to provide comfort in the retention of the nosepiece within the nasal cavity.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An adjustable nosepiece for the administration of supplemental oxygen to a patient comprising: means defining a hollow elongated stem having a terminal end,   means on one end of said stem adapted for attachment of a supply of oxygen,   means on the said terminal end of said stem defining a plurality of flexible elongated retaining fingers, said retaining fingers each having a proximate end integrally attached to said stem at said terminal end and radiating generally radially therefrom and each having a remote end, each of said fingers being bendable in an arc extending from said attached proximate end with the remote end positioned against said stem, and   an O-ring surrounding said stem and said remote ends, retaining said remote finger ends against said stem with said fingers formed in a generally pear-shape configuration about said stem, and providing for adjustment of the position of said ends thereon to adjust the extent of spacing of said fingers from said stem.   
     
     
       2. A nosepiece for the administration of supplemental oxygen or the like to the nasal cavity of a patient and adapted to be inserted substantially into said cavity, and being adjustable in size to be self-holding with comfort, comprising: a hollow vinyl stem having one end for the application of oxygen thereto and having a remote terminal end adapted to be inserted into a nostril,   a plurality of flexible, vinyl locating fingers having proximate ends integral to said stem on said terminal end and extending generally radially therefrom,   each of said finger remote ends being positionable against an outer surface of said stem with said fingers curving from said stem terminal end outwardly then inwardly to said stem forming a generally pear-shaped outine, so that said fingers may be comfortably received within the nasal cavity, and   means securing said finger ends along the longitudinal axis of said stem to vary the shape of curvature of said fingers with respect to said stem, to change the effective size of said nosepiece.   
     
     
       3. Then nosepiece of claim 2 in which said fingers are of substantially equal length and are four in number. 
     
     
       4. The nosepiece of claim 2 in which said finger remote ends are retained on said stem by an O-ring surrounding said fingers and stem, and slidable axially of said stem to make said change in size.